The Primordial Soup PotExplicit
by The Primordial Soup Pot
Welcome to the Primordial Soup Pot! Join Aaron and Rustin as they explore the strange side of ecology, natural history, and evolution.
Podcast episodes
Season 2
Weird Diets: The Frog Eating Epomis Beetles too Angry to Die and the Many Malpractice Suits of the Labroides Cleaner Wrasse
Weird Diets: The Frog Eating Epomis Beetles too Angry to Die and the Many Malpractice Suits of the Labroides Cleaner Wrasse
Weird Diets and Niches! Aaron starts off with the Epomis beetles, a group of carabid beetles that have evolved to feed on frogs many times their size. learn about how these grubs manage to subdue their amphibian prey, and the unique environmental conditions that lead to its evolution. Rustin follows with the various species of cleaner wrasse fish. Learn about the good (cleaning mutualists), the bad (the occasional mucus-snacking wrasse), and the ugly (the cleaner wrasse mimics).
Sights and Sounds of Springtime: Waterdancing Alligators and the Blue Ghost Fireflies of Appalachia
Spring is here! Join Rustin and Aaron as they discuss some of the sights and sounds of springtime. Rustin begins with the mating calls of alligators (and a brief history of how they influenced a certain iconic dinosaur roar). Aaron follows with the biology of the elusive blue ghost firefly and the impacts of firefly-based tourism.
Succulents: The World's only Walking Cactus (The Creeping Devil) and Light Refracting Living Rock Lithops
Succulents: The World's only Walking Cactus (The Creeping Devil) and Light Refracting Living Rock Lithops
Succulents! Aaron Starts off with the biology of the creeping Devil cactus, Stenocereus Eurca. Learn about the the unique adaptions this cactus has to allow it to crawl, and the unique conditions that lead it its evolution, Rustin follows with Lithops plants. Learn about how these plants survive the harsh South African deserts through the usage of their special light-refracting, pebble-mimicking, fortune-teller-looking leaves.
Acquaintanceships: How the Honey Guide guides us to honey (and occasionally eat our Candles) and the 8 Mighty Mussels that help Protect Poland's Water Supply
Acquaintanceships: How the Honey Guide guides us to honey (and occasionally eat our Candles) and the 8 Mighty Mussels that help Protect Poland's Water Supply
Human-Animal Coworkers! Rustin Discusses the mind-boggling Honey Guide. Learn how this bird has co-evolved alongside humans to aid in wild honey gathering. Aaron follows with how 8 mussels help protect an entire city's water supply,
Back from the Brink: The Black footed Ferret and Kirtland's Warbler. How a Ranch Dog named Shep and Michigan Wild Fires saved two species.
Back from the Brink: The Black footed Ferret and Kirtland's Warbler. How a Ranch Dog named Shep and Michigan Wild Fires saved two species.
Back from the brink! Aaron and Rustin both cover two different conservation success stories. Aaron starts with the black-footed ferret, discussing the key reasons for their decline, their rediscovery, and the challenges they still face today. Rustin follows with the habitat restoration of the Kirtland warbler. Learn about how studying habitats influences animal conservation, how conserving one animal can benefit an entire ecosystem and the antiquated "sport" of ferret legging.